BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



to a wild bird was punishable ; the one Act was 

 incomplete and not sufficiently elastic. The 

 succeeding Acts have placed it in the power of 

 County and Borough Councils to protect any 

 species completely for the whole or part of a 

 year, to protect eggs, to set apart protected areas 

 as bird sanctuaries or as breeding-grounds, to 

 forbid Sunday bird-catching, etc. Power has 

 been given to magistrates to confiscate birds, 

 whether dead or alive, and eggs, illegally taken, 

 together with decoys, nets, traps, etc. ; without 

 this power the law against collector and bird- 

 catcher was almost valueless. Under the Acts 

 of 1894 and 1896 some 130 Orders (many of 

 them obtained at the instance of the Society) 

 are now in force in Count)- and borough Council 

 areas in England, Wales, Scotland, and (Act of 

 1894 only) Ireland. The Society takes further 

 steps to defend special breeding-grounds of rare 

 species by the employment of Watchers, and by 

 grants to local effort, and has been granted by 

 the Lords of the Admiralty the help of the 

 ( 'oa^tguard in protecting coast birds. 



IV. What has yet to be done. 



As a record of sixteen years of existence, with 

 an income never rising beyond three figures, 

 the progress made may not appear altogether 

 unsatisfactory. The further progress indicated 

 by an increasing interest in birds, manifest on 

 every hand, is more difficult to appraise. What 

 has been done can be regarded, however, only 

 as the beginning of the work. 



We still need improved and consolidated 

 legislation — legislation not only on the Statute- 

 hook, but known and understood by the people, 

 and having the support of an enlightened 

 popular opinion. In particular, we urgently 

 need more adequate means for coping with the 

 whole traffic in wild birds, and more stringent 

 laws for dealing with the " possession " of pro- 

 tected birds and eggs, whether they arc in the 

 bird-dealers' or poulterers' shops, or in the hands 

 of collector or trading naturalist. We need far 

 more efficient and uniform protection for rare- 

 species. 



We need more sanctuaries for wild birds, and 

 more Watchers to guard them. 



We need the aid and support of landowners, 

 gamekeepers, and farmers, in the preservation 

 of interesting species, and this must be sought by 

 diffusing a knowledge of birds, and by scientific 

 investigation into the economic question. 



We need to train and educate the children of 

 the nation by a general extension of Bird and 

 Tree Competitions, in secondary and private 

 schools, as well as in elementary schools. 



Beyond this, and to obtain all this, there is 

 needed constant and patient use of every occasion 

 and opportunity on which information can be 

 given, knowledge widened, influence extended, 

 sympathy evoked, a truer feeling roused, a 

 further step in advance achieved. For this the 

 co-operation and practical support of every bird- 

 lover in the kingdom is asked, and should not 

 be asked in vain. 



ANNUAL MEETING. 



The Annual Meeting of the Royal Society for 

 the Protection of Birds was arranged to he held 

 at Mor'ey Hall, George Street, Hanover Square.W.. 

 on March 20th, the Marquis of Granby presiding. 

 A report of the proceedings will be issued to 

 members of the Society with the Annual Report. 

 Mr. Richard Kearton very kindly undertook to 

 give a lantern lecture, " Wild Nature's Ways," for 

 the benefit of the Society, at the Queen's Hall, 

 London, on the previous evening. 



COUNCIL MEETING. 



A meeting of the Council of the Society was 

 held on January 16th, 1906. Present : Mr. 

 Montagu Sharpe (Chairman , Mr. Ernest Pell, 

 Mr. Dresser, Hon. Mrs. Drewitt, Dr. Drew in, 

 Miss Hall. Hon. Mrs. Ilenniker. Mr. W. II. 

 Hudson, Rev. A. L. Hussey, Mrs. Lemon, Mrs. 

 Owen Visger, the Hon. Secretary, and the Secre- 

 tary. Reports were received from the Finance 

 anil General Purposes and Watchers Committees ; 

 and various matters were considered, including 

 the petition of the Society to H.M. Queen 

 Alexandra, the Annual Report and arrangements 

 for Annual Meeting, a proposal to organise a bird- 

 less millinery exhibition in London, the placing of 

 Watchers, etc. A letter was read from Mr. Jesse, 

 hon. sec. of the Indian Branch, with reference to 

 the founding of a Royal Society for the Protection 



